I have to teach resiliency to people. Often times it is an audience who's attendance is mandatory due to some program. To go in with a stock keynote of DBPP (Death by PowerPoint) will get nowhere. I've tried to be as engaging and entertaining as I can. Often times while giving these these I'll catch people looking up with a look of "that sounds like me" on their face.
As usual, the videos are disabled here. I am unwilling to spend the current price of this site just for videos at this point in time.
14. Two Types of Happiness
The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and
the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the
best of ourselves to the task at hand.
Vince Lombardi
15. Anxiety Depression Anger
Warns us
Marks loss of Highly
that danger
something opinionated
lurks
dear
Warns that
Fuels
Moves us to evil is
planning
divest and trespassing
get used to against us
Search for
absence
alternate
Tells us to
ways
strike out
Martin Seligman conducted a series of tests in the 60’s and 70’s. A dog was put into a room where the floor was given an electric charge. The dogs yammered and jumped. By chance they would jump over the low wall to the other side that where the floor was not electrified. Over time the dogs learned that whenever there was a shock they could jump over the wall to the other side. \n\nThe same test was tried with different dogs but this time they were tied down. They too yammered but eventually they laid down and took the shocks. What was interesting is that the dogs, when no longer tied down, never attempted to escape the shock. They learned there was no escape from the shock under any circumstances. This phenomenon was called Learned Helplessness. \n
What is resilient? Both items are dropped but the tennis ball is more resilient. Are there things that allow for more resiliency within us?\n
A plant will grow in dirt. It has a potential to put down roots, convert nitrogen, photosynthesize, and so forth. Yet not all plants flourish. To flourish for the plant is to be in a condition where the natural tendencies of the plant are able to express themselves fully.\n
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What makes us happy? Does a cookie make you happy? What about if you played for the Chicago Bears and you played a high school football team for a trophy. Would the win really have any meaning or worth? \n\nSeligman had participants list different things that made them happy. The list came under two broad categories, hedonist and eudaimonic. It was naturally assumed by many that the hedonic items would make one happy, taking a nap, having sex, eating ice cream, going to a concert, etc... And it did. The happiness levels spiked but did not stay high for long. It was like a sugar high.\n\nThe eudamonic items, such as helping a younger brother with math homework, working on a meaningful project, etc... Seligman writes about eudaimonia in his book “Authentic Happiness” that it can only be had by activity consonant with noble purpose. It cannot be derived from bodily pleasure, or is it a state that can be chemically induced or attained by shortcuts. \n\nIn essence there are pleasures that are about the senses and emotions. And there are gratifications that are about enacting personal strengths and virtues.\n
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Thinking trap. He jumps to conclusions. Without looking for evidence he automatically assumes the worst.\n
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Psychology has come a long way in studying maladies of the brain and behavior. We’ve learned a great deal about schizophrenia, depression, anxiety and a host of other problems. But what makes us thrive, happy, resilient, was not studied. Peterson and Seligman investigated thousands of texts, collecting and cataloguing virtues in as many sources as they could. From the Bible to the Klingon Code to poetry and more. This catalogue of positive traits, the anti-DSM, was called the Character Strengths and Virtues. \n
Psychology has come a long way in studying maladies of the brain and behavior. We’ve learned a great deal about schizophrenia, depression, anxiety and a host of other problems. But what makes us thrive, happy, resilient, was not studied. Peterson and Seligman investigated thousands of texts, collecting and cataloguing virtues in as many sources as they could. From the Bible to the Klingon Code to poetry and more. This catalogue of positive traits, the anti-DSM, was called the Character Strengths and Virtues. \n
Psychology has come a long way in studying maladies of the brain and behavior. We’ve learned a great deal about schizophrenia, depression, anxiety and a host of other problems. But what makes us thrive, happy, resilient, was not studied. Peterson and Seligman investigated thousands of texts, collecting and cataloguing virtues in as many sources as they could. From the Bible to the Klingon Code to poetry and more. This catalogue of positive traits, the anti-DSM, was called the Character Strengths and Virtues. \n
The test of character strengths is called The VIA: Virtues in Action. It consists of 24 strengths that are grouped in 6 categories. \n
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Two pictures here. One of a penguin jumping off an ice flow. Another of an ostrich in the water. Both are birds and we might assume that both have the strength fly based on their having feathers and wings. However the strength of a penguin is in swimming. For the ostrich is isn’t swimming and try to do so would not bode well. Instead the ostrich is a runner.\n